Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Two Chapters in One
After Jinniang's belly became bigger, she had to urinate frequently and had to get up and go to the bathroom every now and then, so she was impatient to see guests. After Yang Ge'er's wedding banquet, Zhuangtou Fan and Manager Yao had already returned to Wu County. Jinniang had asked Zhuangtou Fan to select a few good pieces of wood to be shipped over next time.
At the same time, Jinniang was also asking the broker if there was any good farmland for sale. She also had to buy about 200 acres of land for her daughter as a dowry.
After returning from the toilet, my sister-in-law Zhang came over. Jinniang wiped her hands with a handkerchief and said, "Come and sit down. Your mother-in-law just left and said she was going to her lucky garden to see the flowers."
Luo Yu'e loved flowers very much. Ever since Jinniang read a tabloid, she was told which garden had beautiful flowers and the ticket price was cheap, only a dozen cents at most. The old couple took some tea and snacks and left.
Zhang said nervously, "I wish I had come earlier."
"Stop it. If they want to call you, they would have sent someone to call you a long time ago. Come, let's talk." Jinniang is about fifteen years older than this sister-in-law. Although they are of the same generation, she gets along with her like a younger person.
After Zhang sat down, she saw Jinniang embroidering hollyhocks on the blue satin. She was almost done. It seemed that she was making a hundred-fold skirt. She was a little embarrassed: "Sister's craftsmanship is really good."
Jinniang smiled and said, "I can't sit still. I'm always afraid that if I don't do it for a day, my hands will get rusty. What do you like? Tossing pots or playing backgammon."
Zhang quickly shook her head: "I usually do needlework at home, or I help my mother with housework."
She wanted to leave a good impression in front of her aunt, but she heard Jinniang say, "Then you should pick those up on weekdays. When you are sent out in the future, you will be served all these at banquets."
When it comes to being sent out, Zhang is a little scared: "Sister, I heard that it's not very peaceful out there. How can we protect ourselves?"
This is very good. There is no retreat because you are afraid and dare not go.
Jinniang admired and said, "You must pay more silver to rent some official ships and bring a few martial arts experts. But don't worry, your brother-in-law will arrange Ding San and Zhao Wu to go with you. Their monthly salary is five cents of silver, plus a dime of wine. They followed us all over the country in the past. Also, remember to show your official badge when traveling by land, and it's best to stay in an inn, usually one every sixty miles. Don't stay in a random hotel, there are many shady ones."
"A black shop?" Zhang was surprised.
Jinniang nodded: "Yes, so it is best to be careful. Pack water bags and food every time you arrive at a place, and try not to eat outside food. In this way, if it is too far away, it is more convenient to take a boat."
After that, Jinniang told her how to store money, and took out the map and compass she had bought and gave them to Zhang.
Zhang gained a lot from listening. She thought that her mother was like this. She was not only good at drinking and socializing at home, but also helped take care of the clan members. She could be considered a first-class mistress. My aunt is another type of mistress. She is knowledgeable and well-informed, especially about the outside world, and even knows about economics.
Jinniang didn't say much. Sometimes you mean well, but people may think you are too preachy. She said, "Anyway, if you don't understand something, just ask me."
The aunt and sister-in-law chatted for a while. Someone outside said that Ning Ge'er and Yun Jie'er had finished school, so Zhang tactfully left first.
Wei Yang was quickly promoted to the position of Sihu in Xuanzhou, and his family was very happy.
"Xuanzhou belongs to Jiangnan Road and is close to Pingjiang Prefecture and Lin'an Prefecture. It is a very good place." Jinniang said happily.
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "I know your brother is not very good at household affairs. Now that he is a clerk, it is a good opportunity for him to practice. He doesn't need to catch criminals like me."
Now that Yang Ge'er has the help of the Wei family and Jiang Xian, he can naturally go to such a nice place as he wished.
Zhang Jiulang came over immediately after hearing this. This is why he chose Wei Yang as his son-in-law so quickly and accurately. He has a strong family connection and with the help of Grand Secretary Jiang Xian and Wei Jiafan, his fortunes will improve immediately once he passes the imperial examination.
However, Wei Yang and Zhang were both too young, and neither of them had ever traveled far on their own. Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e traveled all over the country, so only their family of four could go to the post together.
Zhang patted her chest and said, "I feel relieved when my parents-in-law are with me."
Although my father-in-law is in his fifties, he is strong and healthy, and my mother-in-law is also a capable person.
They were busy hiring a boat to transport their luggage. Jinniang also asked the waiter to prepare some snacks and asked Juxiang to prepare some dry food for them to take with them. She also set up wine in the garden for their practice.
In this way, Jinniang herself was a little amused and helpless. She originally wanted to separate the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law so that the couple could get along well. But now the two young people have little experience, and with their parents around, they feel relieved, and Jinniang cannot arrange things for them the way she wants.
However, since Zhang couldn't take her dowry with her, Jinniang asked her to have someone move it to the house where she came as a dowry. Let’s sort them out now so that when they come back and find something is missing, it will be difficult to explain.
"Sister, you are too polite." Zhang said to Madam Zhang.
Madam Zhang said with a smile, "Why would I help you get promoted to an official position even though I am not a polite person? If it weren't for your brother-in-law, it would have been difficult for your husband to pass the imperial examination. Well, my wife, you should prepare to take up your post."
Three days later, the four members of the Wei family left with their servants in a mighty manner. The cross-courtyard and the east wing of Jinniang's house were left empty, so she ordered people to lock them.
After Jiang Xian came back from seeing someone off, he also lay down on the bed: "I don't know why, but I always feel a lot quieter, but also a lot more comfortable."
"That's not the case yet. Now that the four of them are gone, I feel relieved." Jinniang shook her head.
Jiang Xian was puzzled and asked, "Madam, when I was an official, I was younger than my uncle. How come you and I were not afraid at all?"
Jinniang shook her head: "I don't know either."
"No, if I were alone, I would definitely be overwhelmed, but my wife is by my side, so I feel at ease." Jiang Xian summed up himself.
The couple expressed their feelings for a while, and Jiang Xian converted the east wing into a small study, where he usually worked and let Ning Ge'er study there as well. Ever since he taught Yang Ge'er, he discovered that it is very important to teach students in accordance with their aptitude. If he could teach his own son well, the future would definitely be different.
In June, Jinniang turned 33. Women of this age are often mothers-in-law. Because Jinniang got married late, her children are still young, and she herself is also very young. She doesn't feel that there is much difference from before.
However, both my parents' and my husband's families sent gifts. The Wei family sent Wei Qilang to deliver gifts, which included four plates of fresh food, a load of birthday peaches, a jar of wine, a box of birthday noodles, a piece of golden slices, and a pair of shoes and socks.
I haven't seen Wei Qilang for a few days. The boy has grown quite tall. Jinniang asked the waiter to serve some delicious snacks and said, "Your mother is willing to let you bring them."
Wei Qillang is twelve years old this year, one year older than Yun Jie'er. He did not come on the day of Wei Yang's wedding, saying that he had gone to pay a visit to his master.
He said, "My mother said that I should come to Third Aunt's birthday. She also asked me to see how Ning Ge'er is doing with his studies."
"Ning'er and his sister are studying with a teacher now. What about you? Are you still being taught by the teacher from Shaoxing?" Jinniang asked.
Wei Qilang ate a piece of crispy abalone snail and then said, "Now I have another teacher, a great scholar named Kuang, and I have to get up early every day to go to You's house."
"Which family is the You family?" Jinniang was still not very clear.
Wei Qilang further explained: "It was at the home of Zuo Si Yuanwailang."
Jinniang nodded. She didn’t know him very well either. She called Ning’er over to talk. The two brothers went to the small study room outside to talk. Looking at the birthday gifts sent by my husband's family, they were sent by Mother Ge. They included two roast geese, a pair of pig's trotters, four fresh chickens, two roast ducks, and a plate of longevity noodles.
"Your belly looks quite big. You will give birth soon, right?" Mother Ge asked while secretly looking around the room. The screen was changed again this time. Before it was a four-panel gauze screen, but now it is different. It has been replaced with a Huanghuali flower and bird screen.
Jinniang smiled and said, "About next month."
Mother Ge didn't care what Jinniang gave birth to. She just said, "Oh, your screen looks new. It's really beautiful."
"It's not really new." Jinniang laughed. This was a gift from her brother Wei Yang and it had been there for more than a month, but she didn't need to tell Mother Ge about this.
Mother Ge saw that Jinniang was wearing a lotus beaded gauze crown today, probably because the flower god of June is the lotus. She was wearing a milky white bodice embroidered with lotus flowers, a hibiscus-colored jacket, and a sky-blue folded skirt embroidered with hollyhocks. She looked ten years younger than her actual age, and standing next to her master, it was as if they were two generations apart.
It's really unfair. They are both the Sixth Lady's biological daughters-in-law, but the youngest son got the most profitable shop. I'm afraid the private money has been given to the youngest son a long time ago. No wonder their lives are getting better and better.
After returning from here, Mother Ge told Xu what she had seen. Aunt Xu happened to be there. When she heard it, she felt unfair for Xu: "Mrs. Jiang has been in the Jiang family for so many years, and you have never taken care of anything. In the end, the old and young in his family don't have to support their parents, but they still get so much money. This is really..."
Although Mother Ge was somewhat aggrieved, Aunt Xu's words were too provocative.
Therefore, Mother Ge smiled and said, "When I went there, it happened that the family of Wei Daxueshi also sent someone over. It is possible that the Wei family helped a lot."
Xu curled her lips and said, "The Wei family has served as transport envoys for many times, and the money they have received is as much as sand. But why would anyone give them money?"
In the past, she would have said that Jinniang was a merchant's daughter, but now that her brother was a Jinshi and the Wei family was visiting frequently, she was afraid that if she let the secret slip, it would get out, so she had to keep her mouth shut.
"That's right. Madam, I'm not saying this, but you are the eldest sister-in-law and you have to act like one. You have two elderly people here. If you don't have some skills, do you have to take care of everything when they get sick and pass away in the future?" Aunt Xu San said.
Xu didn't think too much about it at first, but when she thought about her father-in-law marrying Zheng, there would be two more elderly people to take care of in the future, which would indeed cost a lot of money. The Shiliulang couple are so cunning, they know that their husband is filial and honest, so they must be pushing the blame on their husband. She has suffered enough and doesn't want to suffer any more.
Then she would have to think of an idea and must have something to control them, otherwise, they would have to bear all the responsibilities in the future.
Jinniang was naturally unaware of the terrible things happening in the old house. Today was her birthday and Jiang Xian had returned early. The two children had dinner with her and the family was very happy.
Jiang Xian raised his glass to Jinniang and said, "Everything in the family depends on you, you have worked hard, and today you will enjoy it for a day."
Jinniang offered him water instead of wine and said, "If it weren't for your husband's desperate efforts, our family wouldn't be able to live safely in Tokyo. I just hope that our family will get better and better."
The two of them finished their meal and it was getting dark. Jiang Xian brought out a lotus-shaped water lantern, took Jinniang's hand and said, "Let's go and release the water lantern and make a wish together."
He, a man, actually knew more than she did. Jinniang let him hold her hand and asked, "How do you know about making wishes by releasing water lanterns on your birthday?"
"I used to be away from home to judge cases all day, and I saw women in Jiangnan setting off lanterns by the river. Now that we have our own pond, we can set off lanterns at home and no one will say anything." Jiang Xian said with a smile.
Jinniang, with a big belly, watched Jiang Xian release two water lanterns, and then she clasped her hands together in front of her chest and made a wish.
When she opened her eyes, Jiang Xian asked her, "What wish did you make?"
"It won't work if you say it out loud." Jinniang smiled.
Jiang Xian looked at her and said, "Even if you don't tell me, I know what you wish for. You must hope that the baby in your belly will be born safely, right?"
Jinniang thought to herself, what I wished for was that we could grow old together and live to be a hundred years old.
But seeing him say this, Jinniang pretended to admit it.
July is both the Chinese Valentine's Day and the Ghost Month, and there are a lot of people burning paper on the streets. Jiang Xian couldn't help but cover his nose when he came back, "It's all gray, all gray."
Jinniang smiled and said, "Change your clothes first. We have found a wet nurse today, and we have three more maids in the house. Two of them will serve me, and Zi Teng and the other new one will serve the baby in my belly."
"My wife, I want to tell you something. I might get a promotion." Jiang Xian couldn't suppress his joy. He was afraid that people would say he was too high-profile when he was outside, so he didn't need to pretend anything in front of Jinniang.
Jinniang found the clothes in the closet and gave them to him: "Is it real?"
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "It's almost certain. My official position is close to the emperor now. The emperor asked me to speak today. I think the meaning seems to be this."
This is naturally a good thing, but Jinniang still reminded: "Secrecy leads to success, while disclosure leads to failure. We should not make this public. I am afraid that the baby in my belly will be born this month, so I will prepare everything in advance."
When a child is born, they have to prepare for the third day and full month celebrations. In the past, they lived in Tianshui Lane and had no place to entertain guests, but nowadays, most people probably take the opportunity to come and celebrate. She had to prepare in advance. There was no other way. The couple had freedom to live their own lives, but if anything big happened, there would be no help.
Jiang Xian changed his clothes and went to the bathroom next door to wash his face before coming over and saying, "I heard that Wei Qilang went to study at You's house?"
"Yes, it is said that his family has invited a famous scholar."
"Madam, do you really want Wei Qilang to be our son-in-law?"
Jiang Xian had to admit that Zhang Jiulang had good taste in choosing his brother-in-law, as he chose a son-in-law who was a Jinshi. My daughter is already twelve or thirteen years old (in lunar age), so we have to hurry up.
But Jinniang waved her hands and said, "We want to choose a good son-in-law, and the Wei family also wants to choose a better wife, so it doesn't necessarily have to be him. It's not a good deal to go for it. Our daughter is so good, she will live a good life no matter who she marries."
Jiang Xian nodded secretly: "My lady, what you said makes sense."
In fact, Mrs. Wei was also thinking about her son's marriage. Wei Qillang was born very handsome since he was a child. He was too handsome. He could make everyone like him with just a few words, and people would look up to him wherever he went.
But in the future, supporting a business will not depend on appearance. Just look at Jiang Xian, he is thirty years old and still handsome, and the maids who come here will blush every time. But if he had not passed the imperial examination and became an official, who would look up to him?
Never mind. My son is only thirteen years old now. I’d better let him start his studies first.
It was just that she thought so, but her husband might not think so. Scholar Wei said to her, "Gongming has a niece who is the same age as Qilang. It would be great if they could become relatives."
Madam Wei knew that the person Gongming was talking about was Shen Ziqi, who was directly in the Jixian Academy. This person was extremely talented, had outstanding political achievements, and was very honest. Now that he has returned to Beijing from the countryside, he has been highly praised. His niece was the daughter of Shen Zijia, the editor of the Secret Pavilion.
"That's good." Mrs. Wei nodded slowly.
Generally speaking, Mrs. Wei would obey whatever was decided by Mr. Wei.
The couple made the decision secretly, but Mrs. Wei held back because Mrs. Shen had not yet returned home for the funeral and it was not a good idea to bring up these matters at this time.
Wei Qilang didn't know this yet, he just said: "Yesterday when I went to Third Aunt's house, Ning Ge'er and I were almost at the same level in learning, I can't fall behind."
"Brother Ning, as I remember, was only seven or eight years old?" Mrs. Wei was a little uncertain, as she felt that Jiang Ning was still a child.
Wei Qilang said: "Yes, he will be eight years old in August."
"Although you need to learn, you can't work too hard. You should take it slow." Mrs. Wei was afraid that her son would work too hard and get sick.
Wei Qilang nodded.
However, Jinniang's new foster mother, Bai, was neat and capable, and pretty. She was given a room in the vacant east wing so that she could live there and breastfeed the child once he was born.
The wet nurse's family was in financial difficulty, so Jinniang hired her for two years, paying her two strings of cash a month. Jinniang also promised to make two sets of clothes for her every year.
Mother Fang was carrying a small stool to eat snacks. Whenever there were guests, Jinniang would share the leftover snacks with everyone. Mother Fang now lives in the garden. If she doesn't have something to eat, she will easily get nervous.
Seeing Bai Yangniang coming in, he gave her two pieces of dessert and said, "Our wife is a very good person. You should take good care of the children in the future, and you will be fine."
Bai Yangniang was extremely terrified.
Ah Ying brought two sets of her own clothes to her and said, "I see your figure is similar to mine, so I'll give them to you first. When the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, I'll cut the fabric for everyone, and then you can make clothes."
"Thank you very much." Bai Yangniang felt that she was very lucky to come to this house. In such a big house, even a steward or a little maid was well-groomed and dressed in fancy clothes.
Ning Ge'er has now developed the habit of getting up early to study. He sits in the classroom very early every day, reading aloud. But I won’t study from morning to night. When I come back from school in the afternoon, if the homework is light, I will finish it before eating. If the homework is heavy, I will eat before doing it.
There is one day off every ten days, and this day is purely for fun. You can play however you want.
It’s just that originally their mother would take them to visit relatives, or their father would take them to the bookstore, but now their mother is about to give birth and has no time to accompany him. He read in the outer study room. Books are really good things. Serious books are usually read in school, so it doesn't hurt to read some casual books now.
When the sun was setting, Dad came over. Ning Ge'er looked up at Jiang Xian and said, "Dad, why are you here?"
"Your mother said you were here, so she asked me to come find you. We should go back to eat." Jiang Xian wanted to scold his son for reading idle books, but he remembered the agreement between his wife and him that they should let the children do their own things happily while playing, so he said nothing.
Ning Ge'er immediately put down the book: "Then I have to go back quickly. Daddy is taking a rest today, what are you busy with?"
Jiang Xian thought to himself that although my child is young, he is very good at talking to adults, he is smart at studying and he is in good health. He wanted to take it outside to show off, but he held back.
At dinner time, the family of four ate together. It was a hot summer day. Jinniang couldn't help but say, "Sisters and brothers should spread mats in their rooms, use one basin of ice at night and two basins of ice during the day."
Ice is a big expense in the summer, but this expense has to be paid. Otherwise, people will not only get sick easily when they are cold, but also feel uncomfortable when they are hot. Both the sister and the brother have "air-conditioning quilts" that Jinniang imitated modern ones. She took good care of both children and looked after them scientifically, which is why the brother and sister are in such good health today.
Xiqiu and Peilan each took care of the siblings and kept them in mind.
Jinniang smiled and asked someone to clear the meal, but her stomach began to hurt. She originally thought it would take two days, but she didn't expect the baby to come so quickly and it was very hard to bear.
At this time, she was still methodical. "Go call the midwife, bring the toilet paper, diapers, and swaddling clothes that were prepared in advance, and ask the kitchen to boil water quickly."
Ah Ying had already given birth to a child, so she said to Jiang Xian, "My dear, please ask someone to invite Mrs. Zou over first. She has received the deposit from our wife."
Jiang Xian couldn't leave because his mother-in-law was not there. What if one of the servants did something bad? He said, "You ask Chen Xiaolang to invite me, I'll be waiting outside."
The children were first taken away by their respective maids and mothers. Less than three quarters of an hour later, Chen Xiaolang arrived with Zou Pozi.
When Mrs. Zou came over and saw that everything was ready, and that Jinniang's water had broken, she hurried over to help her give birth. Jinniang knew that she was now an older mother, so she didn't eat much on weekdays. She wanted the baby to be smaller so that it would be easier to give birth. She also kept supplements such as ginseng nearby in case of emergency.
"The fetus is in the correct position, don't worry." Mrs. Zou was not only a midwife, but also a famous female doctor. Other midwives charged five strings of coins for each delivery, but she charged ten strings of coins for each delivery.
Under her assignment, Jinniang's health condition in recent years is actually better than when she gave birth to Yunjie'er, so she gave birth to the child in one go.
Jiang Xian soon saw someone carrying a child out. The child had very white skin. He also heard that Jinniang was fine, so he asked Aying to give him some money. Aying gave her ten strings of cash and a piece of cloud satin. Mrs. Zou thanked her profusely and left.
When he was about to send servants to the old house to announce the good news, he saw someone from the Ministry of Rites coming outside. It turned out that the decree for his promotion had come down, from the sixth rank of Jiujiulang to the sixth rank of Taifu Temple Shaoqing.
Jiang Xian was overjoyed, holding his newborn son and said, "Although this child was born in the Ghost Month, he is truly blessed. Come, take a look."
Jinniang, who was in the house, heard this and finally breathed a sigh of relief. The Shaoqing of Taifu Temple can be compared to the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank.
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